County’s original administrator to return

St. Joseph County’s search for a new administrator came to an unexpectedly quick end Tuesday.

By Jef RietsmaJournal Correspondent

St. Joseph County’s search for a new administrator came to an unexpectedly quick end Tuesday.

J. Patrick Yoder, who held the position from its inception in 1990 until 1994, has agreed to take the job, which is the highest-ranking, non-elected position in the county.

Yoder, 63, becomes successor Judy West-Wing, who retired in January after serving the past two decades of her 30-year tenure with the county as administrator.

“This is a transitional period for the county and I look forward to helping St. Joe County move forward,” Yoder said, offering his compliments to West-Wing for her years of service.

Tuesday’s hour-long meeting involved Yoder and four of the county’s five commissioners. Yoder had agreed to meet with the board to discuss his role as a recruiter for the administrator search. As the conversation evolved into his interest in the job, it became clear Yoder was a credible candidate.

John Dobberteen, Commission chairman, said Yoder’s experience is vast and, as one of only two people to hold the job, he has an advantage no other candidate could match.

Dobberteen said he is especially pleased to have found someone without incurring the expense of a recruiter.

“Cass County spent between $20,000 and $30,000 looking for an administrator,” Dobberteen said. “Look at all the time and money they spent.”

Yoder’s first day will be April 1.

A native of Suttons Bay, Yoder is currently village manager in Three Oaks, where his base pay is in the $60,000 range, plus bonuses and insurance op-outs.

His salary with St. Joseph County will be negotiated in coming weeks, but Dobberteen expects it to be in line with West-Wing’s latest earnings, which was around $85,000. Other benefits, including vacation time, insurance and a moving allocation, also are subject to future negotiations.

Yoder will serve as an at-will employ, although he, like West-Wing, will likely have a contract in place. West-Wing had worked under three-year contracts.

Dobberteen, of Sturgis, knew Yoder from his days as a resident of the city during his first go-around as administrator, and said he is glad to see Yoder’s enthusiasm for the job.

“Certainly we could have spun our wheels and not come up with someone half as good as Pat,” Dobberteen said. “Judy has put us in a strong financial position and it’s going to be exciting to see how Pat takes us to the next level.”

Yoder’s work in Three Oaks came on the heels of an emergency financial manager. During his two years there, the village has managed to turn itself around, rehiring part-time police officers, completing a $4.7 million water-improvement project and a $1 million road project.

Yoder said he is proud of his work in Three Oaks and confessed he does not look forward to breaking the news of his departure to his village council tonight at its monthly meeting.

“I’m not a shopkeeper and I am happy to be leaving Three Oaks in a condition better than it was when I started,” Yoder said. “My contract there is up in mid-March and the opportunity to come back to work in Centreville is something I really look forward to.”

Yoder’s wife, Judy, is a school teacher in Leland. He plans to look for a place to live with his